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===== Etherboot image types ===== Using rom-o-matic, or compiling Etherboot yourself, you will be able to generate different file types, depending on your needs. Those file types shall be explained here: ==== Floppy bootable ROM image (.zdsk) ==== These files are meant to be used on floppy disks. If you obtained such a file, copy it to a floppy: Under Linux, <file>cat etherboot.zdsk > /dev/fd0</file> will mostly do the trick. Programs for windows are also available; raw disk access is an add-on-feature on windows, which ''rawrite'' can be used for. [[http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-7.1-Manual/alpha-install-guide/s1-makediskette-rawrite.html|RedHat has an explanation]] of rawrite usage. Those files can also be used to run [[vmware|Etherboot inside VMware]]. Bochs and qemu might also work. ==== Binary ROM image (.zrom) ==== Binary ROM images are meant to be [[burningroms|burned into a ROM chip]], which then is set into the ROM socket on a network card. Those files can also be patched into a Mainboard BIOS, at least for Modular Award and AMI BIOSes this has been done successfully. *FIXME* Description of BIOS patching ==== ISO bootable images (.iso, .liso) ==== Those files are meant to be burnt onto a CD-ROM. Although very small (what a waste of disk space), there might be situations where PCs can reasonably be booted from CD-ROM instead of floppy disk, to run Etherboot later. The difference between those two lies in the mechanism of disk access (and details are to be found in the source, if you really need to know). Try one, if it does not work with your BIOS, try the others. *FIXME* A recommendation of the method rather expected to work would be nice. ==== PXE bootstrap loader (.zpxe) ==== .zpxe files are meant to be loaded BY a PXE ROM, so that Etherboot can replace the PXE functionality. Please read also [[pxefilenamehack|A method to work more than one stage of PXE with stupid DHCP servers]]. ==== DOS executable (.com) ==== .com files are straightforward: Boot DOS, execute etherboot.com (except that DOS only has 8.3 filenames...). You will have to find out though wether etherboot works with EMM386 loaded, for example. ==== Hard disk partition image (.zhd) ==== *FIXME* ==== ELF Rom images (.elf) - generic / LinuxBIOS ==== *FIXME*
